Numbers 24

Numbers 24New International Version (NIV)

24 Now when Balaam saw that it pleased the Lord to bless Israel, he did not resort to divination as at other times, but turned his face toward the wilderness.2 When Balaam looked out and saw Israel encamped tribe by tribe, the Spirit of God came on him3 and he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,4 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,who sees a vision from the Almighty,[a]who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

5 “How beautiful are your tents, Jacob,your dwelling places, Israel!

6 “Like valleys they spread out,like gardens beside a river,like aloes planted by the Lord,like cedars beside the waters.7 Water will flow from their buckets;their seed will have abundant water.

“Their king will be greater than Agag;their kingdom will be exalted.

8 “God brought them out of Egypt;they have the strength of a wild ox.They devour hostile nationsand break their bones in pieces;with their arrows they pierce them.9 Like a lion they crouch and lie down,like a lioness—who dares to rouse them?

“May those who bless you be blessedand those who curse you be cursed!”

10 Then Balak’s anger burned against Balaam. He struck his hands together and said to him, “I summoned you to curse my enemies, but you have blessed them these three times.11 Now leave at once and go home! I said I would reward you handsomely, but the Lord has kept you from being rewarded.”

12 Balaam answered Balak, “Did I not tell the messengers you sent me,13 ‘Even if Balak gave me all the silver and gold in his palace, I could not do anything of my own accord, good or bad, to go beyond the command of the Lord—and I must say only what the Lord says’?14 Now I am going back to my people, but come, let me warn you of what this people will do to your people in days to come.”

Balaam’s Fourth Message

15 Then he spoke his message:

“The prophecy of Balaam son of Beor,the prophecy of one whose eye sees clearly,16 the prophecy of one who hears the words of God,who has knowledge from the Most High,who sees a vision from the Almighty,who falls prostrate, and whose eyes are opened:

17 “I see him, but not now;I behold him, but not near.A star will come out of Jacob;a scepter will rise out of Israel.He will crush the foreheads of Moab,the skulls[b] of[c] all the people of Sheth.[d]18 Edom will be conquered;Seir, his enemy, will be conquered,but Israel will grow strong.19 A ruler will come out of Jacoband destroy the survivors of the city.”

Balaam’s Fifth Message

20 Then Balaam saw Amalek and spoke his message:

“Amalek was first among the nations,but their end will be utter destruction.”

Balaam’s Sixth Message

21 Then he saw the Kenites and spoke his message:

“Your dwelling place is secure,your nest is set in a rock;22 yet you Kenites will be destroyedwhen Ashur takes you captive.”

Balaam’s Seventh Message

23 Then he spoke his message:

“Alas! Who can live when God does this?[e]24 Ships will come from the shores of Cyprus;they will subdue Ashur and Eber,but they too will come to ruin.”

You'll get this book and many others when you join Bible Gateway Plus. Learn more

You must be logged in to view your newly purchased content. Please log in below or if you don't have an account, creating one is easy and only takes a few moments. After you log in your content will be available in your library.

Share

Step 1 - Create an account or log in to start your free trial.

Starting your free trial of Bible Gateway Plus is easy. You’re already logged in with your Bible Gateway account. The next step is to enter your payment information. Your credit card won’t be charged until the trial period is over. You can cancel anytime during the trial period.

Already Subscribed

Upgrade to the best value in online Bible study

For the best Bible Gateway experience, upgrade to Bible Gateway Plus. For less than the cost of a latte each month, you'll gain access to a vast digital Bible study library and reduced banner ads to minimize distractions from God's Word. Try it free for 30 days!